Hibs boss has faith in squad to come good

Hibs boss Colin Calderwood today backed his players to prove their critics wrong following their miserable start to the season which sees them sitting just one point off bottom place in the SPL table.

Calderwood enters his second year as manager of the Easter Road outfit seeking a much-needed win against St Mirren in Paisley tomorrow but admits it will take much more than a single victory to persuade him Hibs’ season is finally up-and-running.

The former Scotland defender was his own side’s fiercest critic after a feckless first-half display against Motherwell which led to yet another defeat but, he insisted, his squad have what it takes to start climbing the table.

He did, though, concede getting those players to transfer the quality they show on the training ground to matchdays is proving a problem.

However, Calderwood claimed what he sees at the club’s East Mains training ground means he isn’t over-concerned at Hibs’ current plight.

He said: “I’m buoyed by the fact I have a group I believe in. I am determined they will prove everyone wrong, get the results, get the points and get everyone onside in the longer term. That’s what makes me not worry too much. I like what I see but obviously we have to make sure we get a more productive outcome when it comes to league matches.”

While Hibs have suffered more defeats than

would have liked, he insisted a win over a St Mirren side which inflicted one of those setbacks on his team as they came from behind to enjoy a 2-1 victory at Easter Road earlier in the season, couldn’t be viewed as the turning point in the Edinburgh club’s season.

He said: “It’s easy to say that, everyone asked it when we beat St Johnstone and when we came back from 3-1 down to draw with Dundee United. Everyone asks if that’s the turning point. You can be brilliant one Saturday but you have to replicate that 38 times and a few more if you want good cup runs.”